


Licking Wounds

by eemamminy



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: First Time, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 00:32:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15401007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eemamminy/pseuds/eemamminy
Summary: Immediately following the loss of their squadron, Estinien and Aymeric find themselves confined to the same room in the infirmary for several weeks. Friendship quickly blooms between them, as well as something more that neither man quite expected.Takes place ten years prior to the events of Heavensward.





	Licking Wounds

When the adrenaline had finally come down, the two temple knights began to realize exactly the predicament they were in. Their ears still rang from the shrieks of wyverns, and their bodies stung and throbbed with pain. The heat of blood escaping their wounds somehow made them feel even colder as they trudged through the snow and the biting wind. Leaving a bloody trail in their wake, finally the gates of judgment loomed on the horizon, barely visible through the snow storm that surrounded them. They limped arm-in-arm, two men who had barely ever spoken until this moment-- now each other’s only hope, as they dragged each other and desperately tried to remain conscious.

There was a thud, followed by the cold embrace of powdered snow around them. The telltale shifting of chainmail and clodding of metal boots running on snow was the last thing they were aware of before it all went dark.

When next they woke, it was in the temple knights’ infirmary. Their beds were side by side, separated only by a small gap. Warm sunlight poured in through the window, cascading across both of their faces and summoning them out of their sleep. They were informed by the chirurgeon that their recovery would be long, at least a few weeks, as they had lost a lot of blood. It would give the lord commander time to assign them to a new squad, as it would seem they were the sole survivors of the dragons’ assault.

After their caretakers departed, silence fell over the room. There was only the rustling of sheets as Estinien tried in vain to find a comfortable position for his aching body. They’d been given potions to dull the pain, but still he was restless. Perhaps the notion that he would be stuck in this room for weeks was what truly pained him the most.

“I must thank you,” Aymeric cut through the silence, his voice soft and sincere, “were it not for your lance and the Fury’s mercy, I likely would not be here.”

“Spare your flattery,” Estinien said coldly, still irritated by their situation, “I could not have slain the beast alone and you know that. I owe you my life just as much as you owe me yours.”

Aymeric was taken aback by the words, though he was quickly able to discern their meaning beneath the harsh tone. A smile crossed his lips, though his face was still somewhat wrinkled by the pain he was experiencing. The other man scoffed, turning to face the other direction.

Their interactions went on like this for the first week: Aymeric would make attempts at conversation, only to be met with hostility and irritation from his fellow soldier. Slowly though, Estinien began to open up a bit more. He would engage in the conversations, or at the very least watch Aymeric intently while putting on a skeptical expression. Aymeric was observant enough to catch the little hints of a smile tugging at the edge of the other man’s lips, and that was enough for him to keep going.

Indeed, as much as Estinien complained, he was growing fond of Aymeric’s chatter and the company he provided. The dragoon often caught himself staring wistfully at Aymeric’s sleeping form, not daring to wake him but wishing that he would spring to consciousness and strike up a topic. Even being so enfeebled by their injuries, Aymeric always managed to smile as he spoke. Estinien wondered where all of that optimism came from, and dwelling on it only made him more fascinated and infatuated with the other man.

After their second week together had ended, they had recovered enough to sit up and be awake for more hours of the day. They played cards together, Aymeric chattered on, and Estinien pretended to be annoyed-- both elezen smiling all the way through.

Estinien couldn’t shake the strangeness in his chest, when he’d think of his newly found friend. For the past ten years, he’d done nothing but train for his vengeance-- no hobbies, no friends, not even anyone he could call family. If this was indeed a crush, it’d be his very first in his twenty-two years. Or maybe this feeling was nothing more than the madness caused by spending the better part of the month in a room with only one other person apart from the healers that came and went.

“--Are you alright?” Aymeric’s question broke him free from his thoughts, and Estinien now went pale. “You’ve been staring at me with that dreamy look, and you haven’t heard a word I’ve said. Shall I summon the chirurgeon?”

Estinien continued to stare, his face feeling flush and his heartbeat pounding in his own ears. The seconds seemed to drag on for ages until without thinking Estinien willed himself across the gap between their beds and in one swift movement, pressed his lips against Aymeric’s. The heat on his cheeks only grew, and his heart pounded even faster. After only a second or two he pulled away again, suddenly awash with the sobering realization that he’d just kissed his comrade.

“That was-- That is, I--” for once Estinien had no biting wit to deliver, as he searched for an explanation. There was none, save for the truth, but that made him feel far too vulnerable to give voice to it.  
  
Fortunately, Aymeric provided an answer for him. Cupping the distraught dragoon’s cheek in his hand, he returned the gesture. Their second kiss was softer, sweeter, and Estinien seemed to relax into it right away, leaning his head into Aymeric’s hand. It was calloused, as were his own hands, but there was still something soft and gentle about his touch all the same.

Half-lidded icy blue eyes delved deep into Estinien’s own steely blue gaze as their lips parted. That look was enchanting, and as much bluster as he always gave, Estinien found himself melting into the other man’s arms just to escape the powerful gaze. The two fell back onto the mattress together, Estinien’s messy hair doing well to cover his face. The silver locks stood in stark contrast to his bright red cheeks, the blush now beginning to creep up his pointed ears as well.

Brushing away the hair from the dragoon’s face, Aymeric leaned in to kiss him again. His mouth was greedier now, his exploration sloppy and needy. In truth, Aymeric had admired Estinien from afar for some time. Whether it had been mere reverence of his abilities, or something more than that, Aymeric couldn’t be sure of how he felt before. All that he knew was that his feelings had without a doubt become romantic, and the joy washed over him the moment he realized Estinien might have felt the same. How they got to this point didn’t matter, they were here now and had each other and little else mattered.

Estinien struggled to keep up with Aymeric, who clearly had some experience in kissing-- or perhaps he was just naturally talented. That was something that had always irritated him about Aymeric, that he seemed to excel in everything with so little effort and all with a smile on his face. The competitive spirit awoke in Estinien, who bit the other man’s lip to separate their mouths.

His lips hungrily traced Aymeric’s jaw and neck, eventually settling on his ear. There was some satisfaction in seeing that Aymeric had begun to blush as well, the bright red color painting his ears a lovely shade against the deep blackness of his hair. Estinien nibbled against his skin once again, evoking a gasp from the other man. Aymeric’s hands helplessly grabbed for the collar of Estinien’s shirt, his breath escaping in hot bursts against the other man’s neck as Estinien continued to attend to his ear. Alternating love bites, suckling, and long drags of his tongue, Estinien was quickly learning what elicited the strongest reactions from the dark-haired elezen.

Soon the tide would shift, as Aymeric’s own competitiveness sought to fight back. Carefully sliding his knee forward, he firmly grazed the throbbing bulge in Estinien’s trousers, causing the dragoon to moan directly in his ear. The heat and stiffness had already been frustrating just pressing against the fabric, but Aymeric’s teasing made his erection so much more apparent. Estinien hadn’t even realized just how much this had all turned him on, and he shook with neediness just from that simple touch.

Burying his head in Aymeric’s collar just to hide his own face, Estinien began to grind his hips against the other man’s leg. His own movements made him moan, though he felt a twinge of irritation as he heard a soft laugh erupt from Aymeric’s throat. Gently, Aymeric rolled them over  so that Estinien laid underneath him.

Silver hair was strewn about messily, and Estinien sought to cover his own face with his arms. Aymeric softly spoke his friend’s name, causing the dragoon to hesitantly peek through his arms to look at the man above him. There was a crimson tint to his cheeks, though his icy blue eyes still pierced through with the same intensity as always. His smile was gentle, and he ran a hand softly through Estinien’s hair before gently moving his arms away. How Aymeric managed to make him feel so at peace while also igniting such a fire in him was so bizarre to Estinien, but he obliged the other man’s coaxing all the same.

Aymeric sat up slightly, resting his weight onto his elbow and placing soft kisses on Estinien’s lips. His free hand wandered down the length of Estinien’s body, hovering over his trousers. The kisses did nothing to distract him, though they were still pleasant anyway. Estinien pushed his hips upward to graze against Aymeric’s hand, his moans buzzing against Aymeric’s soft lips and evoking another smile from the dark-haired man.

As quickly as he could manage with only one hand, Aymeric unlaced Estinien’s trousers and pulled them down just enough to free his aching erection. The air hitting his skin caused Estinien to gasp, though Aymeric only used it as an excuse to kiss him deeper. His tongue began to explore Estinien’s mouth as his hand gripped his cock.

Estinien was shaking just from the first contact of Aymeric’s fingers on his most sensitive place, and his moans only grew as his hand began to work its way up and down the shaft. His arms flew up and around Aymeric’s neck, pulling him down close. Biting at his tongue and his lips while his exploring hands scratched at Aymeric’s neck and scalp, the silver-haired man was so overwhelmed just from a little bit of attention.

Seeing just how strongly Estinien reacted to his touch made Aymeric’s heart swell and pound even harder in his chest. Of course Estinien was quite literally clawing at him, which would no doubt leave a mark, although the behavior was endearing to him all the same. It was so thoroughly _him_ , and the briefest of fantasies his imagination may have created before couldn’t compare to the visceral reaction of what they were sharing now.

His heart wasn’t the only thing swelling, and Aymeric nearly whined in frustration at the throbbing tightness contained within his own trousers. As difficult as it was, he willed himself away from Estinien’s face, though his nails and teeth sought to keep Aymeric exactly where he wanted him. There was a growl through gritted teeth, looking utterly ridiculous with his sweaty and flushed face. Aymeric replied by moving his hand faster, causing the other man to throw his head back into the sheets and moan once more.

Removing his hand entirely, Estinien sat up immediately on his elbows to investigate why Aymeric had stopped. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat, and for a moment he had forgotten how to blink. Aymeric was quickly pulling off his own trousers, removing them entirely so that he straddled the other man with nothing more than a loose blouse and his own erection begging for attention. Once again Estinien found himself bereft of his sarcastic wit, and stared in awe at the beauty of the brunette that hovered above him.

Falling onto his hands and knees, Aymeric leaned over Estinien and kissed him slowly. His hips pressed purposefully down and their cocks touched, a slick friction forming between them as he began to move gracefully against him.

Harmonizing moans buzzed against their entwined lips as their bodies made contact, and all at once their hands began to desperately search one another. Aymeric’s hands tangled themselves in silver locks, tugging on them affectionately, and to better guide Estinien’s face into deeper kisses. Estinien’s hands wandered under the loose blouse that hung from Aymeric’s slim frame, his nails dragging lines down his back-- still careful to avoid the bandages that protected the fresh wounds of dragon’s claws that had landed Aymeric in this very room with him to begin with.

Ever fond of competition, Estinien quickly discerned the rhythm in Aymeric’s movements, pushing his own hips up against him with fervor at just the right dips of motion. They’d both grown so loud now, their kisses becoming sloppier as they struggled to take breaths between the moans and gasps of pleasure.

Moving his attention to Aymeric’s neck, Estinien made sure to leave his mark there as well, suckling and biting the sensitive skin around his collar. Aymeric could only manage to whine Estinien’s name breathlessly in his ear, his movements becoming jagged and rough as his body neared its peak.

Leaning his body weight into Estinien, Aymeric moved his hands to their cocks and gripped them firmly as he began to move his hips faster and faster. With his hands there as guidance, the direct skin-to-skin contact was made all the more intense, and the two of them could only withstand a few moments more before reaching their climax. They came at more or less the same time, though Estinien would let himself believe that Aymeric came just a second sooner than he had, if only for the sake of his pride.

Both men shook and moaned and whined, their bodies still moving for a few additional thrusts until they were completely spent. A hot, sticky mess shot onto their bellies, while sweat that was sticky in its own way covered the rest of them. That would soon cool, leaving them vulnerable to the chill coming off the glass of the window that looked upon their room.

Upon catching his breath, Aymeric quickly removed his shirt and wiped what he could of the mess away from their bodies, helping Estinien to redress and pulling his own trousers back on as well. Estinien once again hid his face behind his arm, hoping the blush would fade from his cheeks to spare himself any embarrassment or vulnerable feelings that the color may bring him. He peeked from behind his arm again when he felt Aymeric return to the bed, watching as the other man laid down beside him. Aymeric seemed cautious now, or perhaps they both felt the awkwardness that comes after such an encounter, and maintaining some distance might have been for the best.

Estinien watched him, as he had done so much over these last few weeks, and Aymeric offered a soft smile. The slight shiver in his shoulders hadn’t been missed by Estinien, however, who closed the gap between them once again and wrapped his arms around Aymeric.

Burying his face into the dark curls that trailed down the other man’s neck, Estinien gruffly offered an explanation, “You’re already injured, ‘tis no sense in allowing you to catch cold as well.”

Aymeric smiled, placing his hands gently on the arms that now encircled his bare chest. Without a doubt Estinien was aware of the blanket tossed aside within arm’s reach, but neither one of them would dare to retrieve it.

They continued like this as their wounds continued to heal-- days full of laughter and sharp banter, nights full of heated passion and the gentle cuddling that followed. Uncertainty and awkwardness gradually were replaced with trust and familiarity. By the time the young temple knights were healthy enough to return to their duties, their bodies had been left scarred but their hearts had grown warmer and fuller.


End file.
